This paper focuses on the rising phase of solar cycle 23
from the time of solar minimum in 1996 to the present high
activity level. A number of observations indicate that cycle
23 maximum is now close, and maybe is already in the maximum
phase. They include the distribution of coronal streamers,
the presence of long--lived solar coronal holes at low
latitudes, the latitudinal distribution of sunspot regions,
and the unipolar magnetic fields in the polar regions.

Most of the activity indices, i.e. sunspot number, sunspot
area, photospheric magnetic flux, 10.7\,cm radio flux, and
UV irradiances, indicate this cycle as a relatively weak
cycle as compared to cycles 21 and 22. In particular,
observations at San Fernando Observatory of sunspot and
facular area are a factor of two or more lower than in solar
cycle 22. This is consistent with the lower magnetic flux
measured at NSO/KP and UV irradiance measurements, but not
with total solar irradiance measurements. We analyze
ground--based and space observations to give a comprehensive
picture of the evolution of the current cycle and compare it
to the solar cycle 22.